Shipping container



Dec. 3, 1935 A. L. ROSENMUND SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Sept. 29, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

FIE-l M 3, 1935.. A. 1.. ROSENMUND SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Sept. 29, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

a h 42 64 9 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES SHIPPING CONTAINER Alfred L. Rosenmund, Rockaway, N. J., assignmto Stapling Machines 00., a corporation of Delaware Application September 29, 1932, Serial No. 635,303

2 Claims.

This invention relates to shipping containers and particularly to wirebound shipping containers.

It is an object of the invention to provide a light, inexpensive shipping container for fruits, vegetables, fresh meats and other perishable products.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shipping container which may be quickly and easily assembled without employing special tools.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wirebound shipping container which may be readily opened and closed without employing special tools and without disrupting the wire bindings.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wirebound shipping container which may be disassembled for shipment in the flat and readily reassembled for use, all without employing special tools, nails, staples or other fasteners.

One illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in

which:--

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wirebound shipping container embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View on a smaller scale of a wirebound container blank which when folded constitutes the four sides of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bottom section of the container.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the top section of the container.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4 and showing the manner of applying a binding wire to the top section and providing the ends thereof with interengageable fasteners.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--$ of Fig. 4 and showing the manner of driving the end of the binding wire through the box side and clinching the same to perpetuate the interengageable fastener.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of one of the interengageable fasteners. I

As conducive to a better understanding of this invention it may be noted at this point that wirebound boxes have gone into extensive use as shipping containers because of their light weight, strength and. cheapness of manufacture. The field of use for such boxes, however, has been limited by the fact that such boxes could not readily be opened or disassembled without cutting the wires, and. such cutting rendered the box unfit for further use. Applicant proposes to provide a wirebound container, the parts of which may be readily assembled and connected together and as readily disassembled without employing special tools or nails, staples or the like. 5

Referring to Fig. 1, the box comprises three separate units, namely, (1) four sections connected by binding wires stapled thereto, (2) a bottom section, and (3) a top section.

As shown in Fig. 2, the side sections consist of 1 0 thin sheets of side materials I, preferably rotary cut veneer or resawed lumber, interior cleats 2 at the bottom, of each side section, exterior cleats 3 at the top of each side section, and binding wires 4, 5, and 6 stapled to the four side 15 sections to foldably connect them. Binding wire 4 overlies the exterior cleats 3 and is secured to the cleats by staples which straddle the wire, pass through the exterior cleats 3 and through the wide material I, being preferably clinched 20 on the inner side of the side material I. Binding wire 6 is stapled to the side material I by staples which straddle the wire, pass through the side material and into or through the interior cleats 2. Intermediate wire 5 is stapled 25 to the side material by staples which pass through the side material and are preferably clinched on the inner side thereof. The binding wires are all substantially of the same length, whereby when the fiat blank shown in Fig. 2 is folded 30 into the container form shown in Fig. l, the upper edges of the side material I will be drawn inwardly to provide sides which taper inwardly from the bottom to the top of the box. Each of the wires 4, 5, and 6 are provided at one end 35 with a bight I and at the other end with a bight 8, said bights being adapted to interengage with each other, as shown in Fig. 1, when the blank is folded into container form. The bights I and 8 are formed by bending the ends of the wire 40 back over the box side and driving the ends thereof through the box side, as clearly shown in- Figs. 5 and 6.

The bottom section comprises sheets of rotary cut veneer or resawed lumber 9 connected by 45 cross slats l0 stapled to the sheets 9. The bottom section rests upon the interior cleats 2 and is held from any substantial displacement by the tapering side sheets I.

The top section comprises sheets II of rotary 50 cut veneer or resawed lumber connected together by cross slats I2 stapled thereto. The top section is provided with two or more binding wires I3 stapled thereto and provided at their ends with interengageable fasteners I4 adapted to in- 55 terengage with the top binding wire 4 in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

To assemble the three units into container form, the blank shown in Fig. 2 is folded about the bottom section and the bights 8 are passed through the bights "I and bent back against the side of the container. The top section is then placed in position and the bights M are passed beneath the binding Wire 4 and bent upward to detachably secure the top section tothe body of the container.

To disassemble the box, the bights M are bent downwardly and the top section removed. The bights 8 are then disengaged from the bights I and the four sides of the container unfolded, thereby releasing the bottom section and permitting the three units to be stacked in the flat and returned to the point of original'shipment for reuse. The three units may be readily'reassembled in the manner already described.

It will be noted that the bottom section rests upon the interior cleats 2 and need not be nailed, stapled or otherwise secured to said cleats, the inward tapering side sheets I serving to hold the bottom section against substantial upward displacement. Because the bottom section need not be secured to the interior cleats 2 or to any other part of the side sections, and because the top section is only secured to the side sections by the releasable fasteners M, the three separate units, namely, (1) the top, (2) the bottom, and (3) the wire connected sides, may be readily disassembled and separated for shipment in the flat and reassembled into box form at destination.

I claim:

1. A wirebound shipping container comprising a foldable unit for the four sides of the container, said unit comprising four sections of side material tapering inwardly from the bottom to the top of the container and connected by flexible binders provided at each end with interengageable bights to detaohably hold the four sections in container form, interior cleats at the bottom of each sectiom and exterior cleats at the top of each section; a bottom unit resting upon the interior cleats of the first unit and held against substantial displacement by the tapering side material of said first unit; and a top unit resting upon the exterior cleats of the first unit and provided with flexible binders secured thereto and having fasteners formed on their ends to interengage with a flexible binder of the first unit to detachably connect the third unit thereto, whereby the interengageable fasteners of the top unit and the interengageable fasteners of the first unit may be disengaged to disassemble the three units and reengaged to reassemble the units.

2. A wirebound shipping container comprising a foldable unit for the sides of the container comprising a plurality of sections of side ma-' terial tapering inwardly from the bottom to the top of the container and connected by flexible binders provided at each end with interengageable fasteners to detachably hold the sections in container form, and interior cleats at the bottom of each section; a bottom unit resting upon the interior cleats of the first unit and held against substantial displacement by the tapering side material of said first unit; and a top unit provided with flexible binders secured thereto and having fasteners formed on their ends to interengage with a flexible binder of the first unit to detachably connect the third unit thereto, whereby the 'fasteners of the top unit and the fasteners of the first unit may be disengaged to disassemble the three units and reengaged to reassemble the units.

ALFRED L. ROSENMUND. 

